High Visibility Waterproof Vest

ABSTRACT

A waterproof, high visibility vest having vest body having a right front portion, a left front portion, and a back portion defining an exterior surface and an inner surface. The right front portion, the left front portion and the back portion are arranged to define a neck opening and a right arm hole and a left arm hole. Each of the right front portion and left front portion have a parallel vertical edge. A continuous fastener is positioned along the edges to allow the closure of the front portions. The vest body being constructed from waterproof material. At least one inner waterproof pocket, also constructed from waterproof material, is affixed to the inner surface of the vest body. A plurality of strips of reflective material are affixed to the exterior surface of the vest body in a manner to provide high visibility.

REFERENCE TO PENDING APPLICATIONS

This application does not claim the benefit of any issued U.S. patent orpending application.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention is generally directed toward a high-resolutionsafety garment, more specifically to a high-resolution safety vest.

BACKGROUND

High-visibility clothing, sometimes known as “hi-viz”, is any clothingworn that has highly reflective properties or a colour that is easilydiscernible from any background. Occupational wearers of clothing withhigh-visibility features include railway and highway workers, airportworkers, or other places where workers are near moving vehicles or indark areas. Hi-viz garments commonly utilize highly reflective strips ofmaterial, fluorescent yellow or orange coloured material, and/or acombination thereof. An example of a hi-viz clothing would includeflorescent yellow coats are worn by emergency service workers. Mostindustrial employers require it as a type of personal protectiveequipment.

One type of hi-viz clothing is a hi-vis vest that can fit over a workersclothing. This garment allows the worker to comply with safetyregulations while on the job site while allowing the hi-viz garment tobe removed when not on the site.

The prior art vest is typically constructed from a thin material thatprovide little to no protection from the elements. Additionally, it iscommon for workers to carry items such as cell phones, workpapers, andthe like with them while on the job site. However, the prior art hi-vizvests provide no ability to store these items. This requires the workerto either not carry such on the site, which is impracticable, or toremove the vest in order to obtain the access to pockets or otherstorage compartments contained in the other articles of clothing worn bythe worker.

Therefore, there is a need to for a safety vest and satisfies the needsas set out above.

SUMMARY

In some aspects, a waterproof, high visibility vest is disclosed. Thevest includes a vest body having a right front portion, a left frontportion, and a back portion defining an exterior surface and an innersurface. The right front portion, the left front portion and the backportion are arranged to define a neck opening and a right arm hole and aleft arm hole. The right front portion and left front portion each havea parallel vertical edge. A continuous fastener, such as a hook and meshfastener or a zipper, is positioned along the edges to allow for theclosure of the front portions. A plurality of strips of reflectivematerial affixed to the exterior surface of the vest body in a manner toprovide high visibility.

The vest body is constructed to be waterproof, in that is may be may beconstructed from a natural or synthetic fabric that is coated with awaterproofing material, such as rubber, polyvinyl chloride (PVC),polyurethane (PU), silicone elastomer, fluoropolymers, and wax.Additionally, the vest body may be constructed from a waterproofmaterial such as neoprene.

The vest body also includes at least one inner waterproof pocket affixedto the inner surface of the vest body. The at least one inner waterproofpocket is also constructed from the waterproof material. In thoseaspects with a plurality of waterproof interior pockets, each of saidplurality of interior pockets may be of a different size.

Other aspects and features of the present invention will become apparentto those ordinarily skilled in the art upon review of the followingdescription of specific embodiments of the invention in conjunction withthe accompanying figures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

In drawings which illustrate embodiments of the invention whereinsimilar characters of reference denote corresponding parts in each view,

FIG. 1 is a front plan view of an embodiment of the apparatus of thepresent invention.

FIG. 2 is a front plan view of an embodiment of the apparatus of thepresent invention illustrating the interior surface.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the back an embodiment of the apparatus of thepresent invention.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of interior surface of an embodiment of thepresent invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

As illustrated by FIGS. 1-4, an embodiment of the inventive vest of thepresent invention is disclosed. Vest 10 has an exterior surface 17 andan inner surface 19 and includes right and left front portions 14 and 16respectively and a back portion 15 arranged to define a neck opening 30and arm holes 24 and 26 respectively. The right and left front portions14 and 16 have parallel vertical edges 18 and 20. A continuous fastener22 is positioned along the edges 18 and 20 as will be understood bythose skilled in the art. The continuous fastener 22 may be a hook andmesh fastener, a plurality of buttons a zipper, a combination thereof orother suitable fastener that can secure right and left front portions 14and 16 together. Attached to the exterior surface 17 of vest body 12 area plurality of strips of reflective material 32 in a manner to providehigh visibility.

Vest body 12 is constructed from a waterproof material in order toprovide with user with protection from the environment when there israin or when other water is present. Vest body 12 may be constructedfrom a natural or synthetic fabric that is coated with a waterproofingmaterial, such as rubber, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyurethane (PU),silicone elastomer, fluoropolymers, and wax. Additionally, vest body 12may be constructed from a waterproof material such as neoprene.

As best illustrated in FIG. 4, vest body 12 also has a plurality ofwaterproof pockets 40 affixed to the inner surface 19 of the vest body12. Each of the pockets 40 are also constructed from waterproofmaterial. In this embodiment, the waterproof material is the samematerial from which vest body 12 is constructed therefrom. This isillustrative and not meant to be limiting. Those skilled in the art willrecognize that pockets 40 and vest body 12 may be made from differentwaterproof material. Further, in this embodiment, three pockets 40 a, 40b and 40 c are illustrated, with each pocket 40 being of a differentsize. In this embodiment, pocket 40 a has a dimension that canaccommodate workpapers, pocket 40 b has a dimension that can accommodatea mobile phone and pocket 40 c has a dimension that can accommodategeneral items. The inclusion of three pockets is also illustrative.Those skilled in the art will recognize that various configurationspockets 40, having various sizes, may be located on the inner surface 19of vest body 12.

In some embodiments, pocket 40 may be configured to be a patch-stylepocket 42 having a flap cover 44. Flap cover 44 may be secured with acontinuous fastener, such as hook and mesh fastener such that theinterior portion of pocket 40 is waterproof.

In some embodiments, vest body 12 also includes mini-sleeves 28 thatextend away from arm holes 24 and 26 respectively. Mini-sleeves 28 aredesigned to provide additional protection to the user's arms and torsofrom a wet environment without being constrained by a full sleeveconfiguration.

In some embodiments, vest body 12 may also include reinforced shouldersto provide more durability. The reinforcement may be created by addingadditional material along the shoulders section of vest body 12 and/oroverlapping the right and left front portions 14 and 16 with a backportion 15.

While preferred embodiments of the present inventive concept have beenshown and disclosed herein, it will be obvious to those persons skilledin the art that such embodiments are presented by way of example only,and not as a limitation to the scope of the inventive concept.Variations, changes, and substitutions may occur or be suggested tothose skilled in the art without departing from the intent, scope, andtotality of this inventive concept. Such variations, changes, andsubstitutions may involve other features which are already known per seand which may be used instead of, in combination with, or in addition tofeatures already disclosed herein. Accordingly, it is intended that thisinventive concept be inclusive of such variations, changes, andsubstitutions, and by no means limited by the scope of the claimspresented herein.

I claim:
 1. A waterproof, high visibility vest comprising: a vest bodyhaving a right front portion, a left front portion, and a back portiondefining an exterior surface and an inner surface, the right frontportion, the left front portion and the back portion arranged to definea neck opening and a right arm hole and a left arm hole, the right frontportion and left front portion each having a parallel vertical edge anda continuous fastener positioned along the edges, the vest body beingconstructed from a waterproof material; at least one inner waterproofpocket affixed to the inner surface of the vest body, the at least oneinner waterproof pocket being constructed from the waterproof material;and a plurality of strips of reflective material affixed to the exteriorsurface of the vest body in a manner to provide high visibility.
 2. Thevest of claim 1, wherein the at least one inner waterproof pocket isfurther defined as a plurality of waterproof interior pockets, each ofsaid plurality of interior pockets being of a different size.
 3. Thevest of claim 2, wherein each of the plurality of waterproof interiorpockets are further defined as being patch pocket having a flap cover.4. The vest of claim 1, wherein the vest body comprises a natural orsynthetic fabric coated with a waterproofing material.
 5. The vest ofclaim 4, wherein the waterproofing material is taken from the groupconsisting of: rubber, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyurethane (PU),silicone elastomer, fluoropolymers, and wax.
 6. The vest of claim 1,wherein the vest body further comprising a right mini-sleeve extendingaway from the right arm hole and a left mini-sleeve extending away fromthe left arm hole.